NHTSA Complaint #10568961 — 2003 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 1500

IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT INFORMATION CONCERNING GM'S INTENTIONAL WITHHOLDING OF PROBLEMS WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH IN CERTAIN GM VEHICLES, I FEEL COMPELLED TO SHARE MY STORY. I DO SEE OTHER COMPLAINTS FILED HERE CONCERNING THE SAME ISSUE. IN OCTOBER 2003, I PURCHASED A NEW 2003 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 1500. THE VEHICLE HAD 5,500 DEMO MILES ON THE ODOMETER. I DROVE MANY MILES FOR WORK AND FOR TRANSPORTING HOCKEY KIDS TO PRACTICE, GAMES, TOURNAMENTS, ETC. IN DECEMBER 2006 I ALREADY HAD 80,000+ MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND THE SPEEDOMETER, GAS GAUGE (CAUSING ME TO RUN OUT OF GAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT!), OIL GAUGE, BATTERY VOLTMETER, RPMS, WHICH ARE ALL COMPONENTS OF AN ELECTRICAL CLUSTER BEGAN FAILING. I CONTACTED MY GM DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT A 'SILENT RECALL' HAD BEEN ISSUED TO DEALERS STATING THAT IF A VEHICLE WITH LESS THAN 3 YEARS AND UNDER 70,000 MILES WAS BROUGHT IN, THE DEALER SHOULD FIX THE ITEM AS A WARRANTY REPAIR. SINCE MY VEHICLE WAS 2 MOS OVER THE 3 YR AND OVER THE 70,000 MILES, I WAS DENIED A WARRANTY REPAIR AND QUOTED $700.00 TO FIX THE PART. SINCE THAT DATE, MY SON'S CHEVROLET VEHICLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM! AND, IN 2009 A FRIEND'S BRAND NEW DENALI WITH LESS THAN 10,000 MILES HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE NEVER FIXED THE PROBLEM DUE TO COST AND DISAGREEMENT WITH GM. I WROTE THE CORPORATE OFFICE AND GOT NOWHERE. I DON'T SEE HOW A SAFETY ISSUE LIKE THIS CAN BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE TO HAPPEN NOR HOW GM CAN KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEM BUT NOT TELL OWNERS OF THE VEHICLE AND/OR FUTURE POSSIBLE BUYERS OF THE VEHICLE. OH WAIT, YEA GM DOESN'T SAY ANYTHING BECAUSE CONSUMERS MIGHT TAKE THEIR BUSINESS ELSEWHERE! I SIMPLY WANTED TO GM TO FIX THE PROBLEM, THAT WAS OBVIOUSLY KNOWN ABOUT, BUT RATHER, GM SIMPLY KEEPS PUTTING THE SAME BAD COMPONENT IN FUTURE VEHICLES!! *TR